Can Singapore's next-gen tailors make the cut?

A BUSINESS suit is a rare sighting on the streets of Singapore. Smart casual (emphasis on casual rather than smart) is the name of the workwear fashion game. And to be fair, a jacket can be unbearable in our humidity and heat.

Still, a new generation of tailors has enjoyed a revival in recent years, riding on a fresh wave of demand for snappy dressing and things bespoke. That is, right up until Covid-19 took all bets off the table. Singapore's next-generation tailors talk about the challenges facing their niche trade, in Brunch this Saturday in The Business Times Weekend.

Marsha Vande Berg is bullish about globalisation. The corporate luminary, formerly CEO of the Pacific Pension and Investment Institute who now sits on the boards of numerous companies and non-profit organisations, is similarly optimistic about sustainability. She tells The Raffles Conversation why.

Despite the doom and gloom surrounding the impending global recession, stock markets appear to be making their own conclusions. Our Chart View columnist warns that things might be looking up in the markets, but investors should exercise extreme caution.

What the Covid-19 crisis has also shown is that those investments we take to be safe as houses are not as protected as they seem. Insights from the CFA Society Singapore looks at how Singapore Reits will fare.

With economies preparing to restart, what does the future hold for hospitality, one of the worst-hit sectors? In the Broad View, major Asia-Pacific hoteliers give their take.

In football, The Finish Line rounds up how leagues in Europe are planning to make a valiant bid to finish the 2019/20 campaign. And in our Health page, a look at the ongoing Covid-19 crisis as a chance to re-examine, realign and re-energise our values, our priorities and our prowess.

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